Top 50

These are the top 50 companies shaping our industry. How does yours stack up?

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There’s no other list like this one. The QSR 50 brings the biggest names in the quick-service and fast-casual industries together in an all out sprint to the finish. Their domestic sales would make companies like Nike, Whirlpool, and Progress Energy blush. And at the top of the heap again this year is McDonald’s with $31 billion in systemwide sales in 2009—more than double its closest competitor Subway. While the sandwich chain may have more stores, it’s McDonald’s that leads the chart thanks to its solid AUV of $2.35 million.

But Subway’s No. 2 spot is nothing to scoff at. Just this year alone, the company added more than 1,000 new locations around the world, crossed the milestone of 33,000 locations, and premiered its new breakfast menu at about 25,000 U.S. and Canadian stores.

Rounding out the top five spots are industry giants Burger King, who is still working through franchisee issues, Wendy’s, whose new breakfast menu is set to roll out nationwide soon, and Starbucks, whose revamped loyalty program is paying off in a big way.

Below are the top 50 companies shaping our industry. How does yours stack up?

2010 Rank	Chain	Segment	U.S. Systemwide Sales ’09 (millions)	U.S. Average Annual Sales Per Unit ’09 (Thousands)	Franchised/ Licensed Units ’09	Company- Owned Units ’09	Total Units ’09
1	McDonald’s	burger	$31,000.00	$2,350.00	12,402	1,578	13,980
2	Subway*	sandwich	$10,000.00	$445.00	23,034	0	23,034
3	Burger King	burger,	$9,000.00	$1,240.00	6,333	917	7,250
4	Wendy’s*	burger	$8,388.00	$1,422.00	4,622	1,255	5,877
5	Starbucks Coffee*	snack	$8,347.20	$952.00	4,364	6,764	11,128
6	Taco Bell²	mexican	$6,800.00	$1,229.00	4,308	1,296	5,604
7	Dunkin’ Donuts*	snack	$5,700.00	$820.00	6,566	0	6,566
8	Pizza Hut²	pizza/pasta	$5,000.00	$786.00	6,917	649	7,566
9	KFC²	chicken	$4,900.00	$960.00	4,307	855	5,162
10	Sonic	burger	$3,837.40	$1,093.00	3,069	475	3,544
11	Arby’s*	sandwich	$3,228.80	$897.00	2,427	1,169	3,596
12	Chick-fil-A*	chicken	$3,217.00	$2,095.00	205	1,275	1,480
13	Jack in the Box	burger	$3,072.10	$1,420.00	1,022	1,190	2,212
14	Domino’s*	pizza/pasta	$3,030.80	$598.00	4,456	481	4,937
15	Panera Bread*	sandwich	$2,796.50	$2,081.00	719	585	1,304
16	Dairy Queen*	burger	$2,640.00	$530.00	4,469	71	4,540
17	Papa John’s	pizza/pasta	$2,057.00	$755.00	2,193	588	2,781
18	Quiznos Subs*	sandwich	$1,776.50	$415.00	4,200	3	4,203
19	Hardee’s*	burger	$1,660.00	$1,002.00	1,430	475	1,905
20	Popeyes*	chicken	$1,597.00	$1,057.50	1,539	37	1,576
21	Chipotle	mexican	$1,500.00	$1,728.00	0	956	956
22	Carl’s Jr.*	burger	$1,370.00	$1,438.00	802	422	1,224
23	Panda Express	asian	$1,245.00	$1,023.00	24	1,265	1,289
24	Whataburger	burger	$1,178.90	$1,679.00	173	529	702
25	Little Caesars*	pizza/pasta	$1,130.00	$450.00	2,000	600	2,600
26	Church’s Chicken*	chicken	$835.00	$680.00	975	287	1,262
27	Steak 'n Shake*	burger	$753.80	$1,500.00	73	412	485
28	Zaxby’s	chicken	$718.00	$1,581.00	406	86	492
29	Long John Silver’s*²	seafood	$700.00	$660.00	989	0	989
30	Checkers/Rally’s	burger	$663.50	$814.00	498	323	821
31	Bojangles’	chicken	$659.50	$1,556.40	296	163	459
32	Culver’s	burger	$656.00	$1,630.00	404	9	413
33	Papa Murphy’s	pizza/pasta	$630.00	$560.20	1,136	35	1,171
34	Jimmy John’s*	sandwich	$602.00	$688.30	948	21	969
35	El Pollo Loco	chicken	$582.00	$1,600.00	243	172	415
36	Baskin-Robbins*	snack	$570.00	$218.00	2,597	0	2,597
37	Del Taco	mexican	$568.00	$1,100.00	231	287	518
38	CiCi’s Pizza	pizza/pasta	$563.60	$909.00	609	16	625
39	Boston Market*	chicken	$545.00	$1,020.00	0	520	520
40	White Castle	burger	$544.40	$1,304.60	0	418	418
41	Sbarro*	pizza/pasta	$517.10	$645.00	300	485	785
42	Five Guys Burgers & Fries	burger	$499.00	$1,100.00	457	91	548
43	Jason’s Deli	sandwich	$471.60	$2,194.00	94	121	215
44	Captain D’s	seafood	$461.20	$839.00	263	286	549
45	In-N-Out Burger*	burger	$457.00	$1,950.00	0	239	239
46	Qdoba	mexican	$434.80	$905.00	353	157	510
47	Cold Stone Creamery	snack	$429.90	$325.00	1,163	35	1,198
48	Krystal	burger	$413.80	$1,078.00	147	237	384
49	Tim Hortons¹	snack	$410.00	$957.00	558	5	563
50	Einstein Bros. Bagels*	sandwich	$378.40	$874.00	182	350	532

* includes figures estimated by Technomic, Inc.
¹ systemwide figure from franchised stores only
² systemwide sales includes license sales
³ stores open 1 year or longer
⁴ includes Philippines
⁵ U.S. & Canadian

Comments

KFC

Submitted by Tb Imam Gazali (not verified) on January 18, 2011 - 19:49.

Even KFC number 9 in US, but in Indonesia we are number 1. I think in this world YUM! Restaurant International still number 1

Japanese TV interested using your articles

Submitted by Hideyuki Miyauchi (not verified) on January 27, 2011 - 18:32.

To Whom It May Concern ,

My name is HIde MIyauchi working for a Japanese network TV called "TV Asahi".
They like to introduce your articles" Total Units '09 in their program .

By the way do you have this in 2010 ?
Would you please tell me the person who I must contact about this matter ?

Thank you so much .

Best ,

HIde Miyauchi

Cold Stone is an icecream

Submitted by Carre (not verified) on February 2, 2011 - 15:25.

Cold Stone is an icecream place!

What about 2010?

Submitted by Nancy Luna (not verified) on April 7, 2011 - 10:42.

Thanks for the data. It is always useful to regional food news bloggers, like myself. But two questions: Why is there such a huge lag time on this report? Shouldn't you be posting 2010 data in 2011?
Thanks, Nancy

Cold Stone could only be shaping the industry negatively.

Submitted by Franchise Exectutive (not verified) on April 13, 2011 - 20:46.

I am unaware of a franchise that has more demonstratively and negatively impacted the reputation of franchising than Cold Stone Creamery. They have shamed the entire industry. The fact that they made your list speaks to your publications lack of credibility. I'll be happy when a PE buys them out and replaces their incompetent management.